Fastener for garments and other articles



Feb. 16, 1943. A H LSCHE 2,311,231

FASTENER FOR GARMENTS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed April 16, 1940 A'r RNEY,

Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-Fl'cE- FASTENER FOR ,GABMENTS AND OTH-ER ARTICLES Arthur Illsche, Bye, N. Y. v .appuesann Apr-u 1s, 1940, serial No. ,129,901

1o claims. (ci. ca -221) This invention relates to fasteners for garments and other articles of flexible material.

Attachment of the fastener members to fabrics or like materials is effected without piercing or puncturing the same and is such as to permit sists in providing one of the elements of a fastener member with a single screw-thread formation that extends through the =body ofthe element and is utilized interiorly and exteriorly thereof for connection to the element of cooperating parts or members.

In adapting a. single screw-thread for such double use, a considerable saving is effected in cost of production, over the formation of two separate threads, as only one threading operation is required and only one set of dies used; furthermore, the threaded element is made of such very thin material, it iseasily worked with lighter dies and less power than would be required with material suillciently heavy to carry two separate threads. I

' Metal is ordinarily employed for the single screw-threaded element but any other material may be used, if preferred that is suitable for taking the thread formation and possesses the required strength and wearing qualities necessary to insure a moderately long life inuse.

Other important features of the invention not specially mentioned above will appear from the detail description that follows:

Several fastener constructions suitable for carrying .my invention into effect are illustrated in the accompanying drawing but I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit myself to the exact forms or details shown, as various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention outlined in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Flg. 1 is a sectional view taken centrally of the female member of the fastener, which is shown attached to a fabric.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

' Fig. 3 is a view partly in horizontal section and partly in elevation, showing .the fastener applied to a cape, wrap or like garment.

Fig. 3a is a detail cross section. n the line 3*- 3* ofFig. 3. j 1j Fig. 4 is a view similarto jli'ig.v g male member construction thereoffslightly modined, and

Fig.' 5 is a sectional view taken centrally of the .male fastener member, showing the means and manner of'attaching it lto a fabric tov cooperate with a female memer such as is shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, I represents the male member of the fastener and 2, the female member. It will be understood that the parts that make up these members are shown in the drawing very much enlarged and exaggerated out of true proportion, for clearness of-illustration.

While th'e fastener may be used on garments and other articles wherever buttons or their equivalents are used, itis specially adapted for capes,

, wraps and the like', to hold the same closed, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with the front edge portions thereof in either meeting or overlapping relation.

As previously stated, the fastener members are attached to garments or other fabrics without punctluring or piercing the material. This is ef- -fected iby screw-threading the elements of each fastener member and bringing them into engaging relation through the fabric. which is interposed between them. The threaded portions of the elements are given more or less taper, as

shown, to accommodate fabrics of different thickness between the elements.

The female member of the fastener is made up of two elements. one of which, indicated at 3, is tubular, open at one or both ends l, 5 and provided with a flange I, at the larger open end. Extending throughout the tubular portion of the element, there is a single screw-thread formation which is available for use 'both interiorly and exteriorly thereof. 'I'he material of which the element is made is so reduced in thickness that a single thread 1, formed on the inside of the tube, produces a duplicate thread 8 on the outside and as both threads are utilized in the present fastener, as hereinafter described, the cost of forming a second thread is avoided 'as well as the added cost of material heavy enough to carry two threads, and an extra set of dies for forming the same, etc., etc.

'I'he second element of the female member, is in the form of a ring i which is made of plastic or other material and provided With a .central a", vsnowing the reinforcement I Ilof metal, threaded, as indicated at Il, for engagement with the outside thread of the element 3, through the interposed fabric, as

When the female member is attached to the fabric, as in Fig. 1, the smaller end 4 of the tubular portion of the element I thereof is covered by the fabric and exposed to view at the center I2 of the ring, as shown in Fig. 2. This is not found objectionable but, on the contrary, produces a rather pleasing effect. For such uses as are shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the fastener member 2 may be reversed in its attachment to the fabric, to bring the open end of the threaded socket on the outer side thereof.

The male member of the fastener may take any one of the three forms shown herein, the same being interchangeable for use with the inner thread 1 of the female member, above described.

In Fig. 4, the male members are shown as frustro-conical screw-plugs I3, swiveled in terminal split rings I4 of a chain I5 connecting the members and provided above the swivel, with ornamental knobs I6 by which the members may be rotated when the threads of complementary members are to be engaged.

In Fig. 3, the male members are also swiveled, in terminal split rings Iln of a connecting chain 'IS and provided above the swivel with oma-- mental knobs I 6* for rotating the members, as alove described. This form, differing from Fig. 4, has two yielding projections I1, I1 substituted for the screw-thread. These projections are formed in part with and near the ends of a C- shaped spring I8, which is horizontally disposed or substantially so, in the plug-like hollow body I9 of the member. Openings 20, 20, slightly offset one from the other, are provided in opposite sides of the plug-like body I9, in which the pro- Jections are snugly fitted but are free to move and yield readily as pressure is applied to them.

When cooperating members are brought into nested relation, preparatory to engagement, and are pressed together, the projections I1, I1 of the plug member on meeting the thread 1 of the socketed member, will first yield inwardly, then spring outwardly and snap over the thread, forming a connection between the members that is suillciently strong 'to maintain them thus engaged until force is applied to separate them. Such a connection is used where the members are frequently engaged and disengaged and, if it is desired to strengthen the connection and make it more secure. the plug member is rotated, by grasping the ornamental knob between the thumb and finger and turning it, which causes the projections I1. I1, to follow the groove of the thread and draw the plug downward, as viewed in Fig. 3, until it is solidly seated in the socket. Dsengagement is effected by rotating the plug member in the opposite direction.

In Fig. 5, the above described plug form of member I9* with yielding projections I1, I1, is shown but is non-rotatably attached to a fabric, being flanged at 2| and provided below the flange with a threaded frustro-conical terminal 22, which is engaged by a threaded ring element 23, with the fabric interposed, as in Fig. 1. This plug member is adapted to cooperate with the threaded socket of the member shown in Fig.1

and being non-rotatably attached to the fabric. depends upon the spring snap action of the projections, I1, I1'L in engaging the thread 'l of the socket, to connect the members together.

As the many important advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing, it will not be necessary to further describe the same.

Having described my invention, I claim: I

1. In a two-member fastener the members of which are adapted to be secured to separate pieces of fabric to be separably joined by the fastener, a female member formed of two parts, one part a tube of thin material open at one end and provided with a single screw-thread formation in the body thereof that presents itself for use interiorly and exteriorly of the tube, and the other part a ring threaded on the end of the tube exteriorly thereof, one of the two pieces of fabric to be Joined by the fastener being interposed without puncture between the screwthreaded portions of the aforesaid parts and covering the engaged end of the tube, the opposite open end of which is exposed for entrance of the male member, the said male member attached to the second piece of fabric being suitably formed to engage the thread interiorly of the tube.

2. A fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the tubular element is provided with a terminal flange at its open end.

3. Agfastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the tubular element is of frustro-conical form.

4. A fastener as defined in claim 1, in which the male member is provided with a resilient formation adapted to engage the thread of the tubular element interiorly thereof and is rotatable to effect secure engagement with the thread.

` 5. A fastener as deflned in claim 1, in which the male member is providedwith a resilient formation adapted to be snapped into engagement with the thread interiorly of the tubular element and is rotatable to effect interlocking action between the resilient formation and the thread.

6. A two-member fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which one of the members is non-rotatably secured fast to the fabric and the other member is attached by a swiveled connection and rotatable to engage the thread interiorly of the rst mentioned member.

7. A two-member fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the female member is secured fast to the fabric and the male member is rotatably attached to the fabric for engagement with the thread interiorly of the female member.

8. A two-member fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the female member is secured fast to the fabric and the male member is rotatably attached to the fabric and threaded for engagement with the thread interiorly of the female member.

9. A two-member fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the tube is provided with a terminal flange at its open end to cooperate with the ring in clamping the fabric between them.

10. A two-member fastener, as defined in claim 1, in which the tube is open at both ends and provided with a terminal flange to cooperate with the ring in clamping the fabric between them. Y

ARTHUR. ILLSCHE. 

